comment

GREENWICH, Conn. -- Are you struggling with ideas for that great holiday gift for a friend or loved one? How would you like to support one of Greenwich's beloved institutions?

Look no further, as the Witherell Family Favorites is now on sale at the gift stop at The Nathaniel Witherell. Recipes were submitted by residents and their families, volunteers, staff, board members, and supporters.

The cookbook is on sale for $15 or you can get two for $25. All proceeds will benefit The Friends of Nathaniel Witherell, and will go toward enhancing services at our short-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing center.

Among the more intriguing recipes is “Mom’s Tomato Soup Cake,” which was submitted by Carol Lindstrum, a Witherell volunteer and secretary of Witherell’s Family Council. Lindstrum’s mother, Margaret Nizlek, who was a Witherell resident before her passing, handed it down. It originated with Lindstrum’s grandmother, during World War II, and substitutes condensed tomato soup for eggs, which weren’t readily available during wartime.

Another recipe comes from Carolyn Holcombe-Roberts, who also volunteers at the Witherell, with her husband, Harry Roberts. Holcombe-Roberts’s mother, Edith Arzio, was a Witherell resident before her recent passing. Arzio was a wonderful cook and one of her greatest joys was sharing her homemade Italian desserts with her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and many friends. When she came to Witherell, Arzio assisted the food service department with a presentation for all of the residents, making her favorite pizzelle recipe.

The cookbook, the first ever to be published by The Nathaniel Witherell, is the brainchild of Angela Mariano, Witherell’s clinical nutrition manager, and Fran Misuriello, patient care coordinator, both avid cooks.

Other committee members are Witherell’s Linda Marini, administrative assistant; Justine Vaccaro, director of social work; and Lynn Bausch, deputy and director of nursing; and Sally Van Leeuwen, volunteer coordinator.

Here is Edith Arzio’s recipe from the Witherell cookbook:

Pizzelle Edith Arzio Pizzelle

6 extra large eggs at room temperature

1 cup melted butter, cooled

1 1/2 cups of sugar

3 1/2 cups of flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons vanilla or anise flavoring

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix eggs, butter, and sugar together. Add egg mixture, slowly to flour until smooth. Add flavoring. This recipe can be chilled until ready to use.

Follow directions on use of your pizzelle iron (about 1 tablespoon per cookie). Yields 4 dozen. This recipe can be chilled until ready to use.